The Home Remodel Journey Begins

We met with a architectural designer/draftsman and builder on Saturday armed with a 7 year folder full of pictures and ideas.  The night before, my husband, a brilliant organizer, and I took the idea folder and hashed out the details.  We came up with a list of what we needed, what we wanted, and what we are willing to compromise on.  For instance, I am giving up the formal dining room to a office/library, but will be gaining a much improved and brighter eating area with a view off the kitchen. 

The designer called yesterday and said he found a copy of the original plans from the HOA and a septic site plan. That will save him time and us money!!  Our first challenge will be building around the septic tank and field lines because they, of course, are exactly where the addition will be going.  We should start receiving drafts by Friday.  This is great motivation to get the main house ready to put on the market by the Spring.

The street side of the lake house.

Billie looking for anything she can chase.

My Favorite Entertaining Books

 

1.  Fabulous Parties by Mark Held, Richard David & Peggy Clark. 

2.  Nell Hill’s Entertaining in Style by Mary Carol Garrity.

3.  Williams-Sonoma Entertaining, Chuck Williams, editor.

My Top Ten Cookbooks

1.  Frank Stitt’s Southern Table.  A world renowned chef from Birmingham, Alabama, I read his cookbook like it was a novel.

2.  Baking With Julia.  A must for anyone who loves to bake.

3.  Easy Weeknight Favorites by Southern Living.  Do I need to say more?

4.  Cake Bible by Rose Levy Beranbaum.   One of these days I am going to perfect my cake baking skills, and this will be the book I use.

5.  Rachael Ray’s 30 Minute Meals.  Needs no  explanation, okay I will give you one anyway.  I have never tried one of her recipes that I didn’t like.

6 & 7.  Food For Thought and Magic by the Junior League of Birmingham, AL.   These girls know how to cook.

8.  The Martha Stewart Living Cookbook–The New Classics.  Martha is a good teacher.

9.  Feast of Our Lady of Victory.  A local cookbook put together as a fundraiser by a neighbor.

10.  Betty Crocker’s Cookbook.  A good basic that I have had since I was 16.  I think it was probably my first ever cookbook.

Am I Just a Whiney Baby?

Maybe it is because my husband and I have been listening to Dave Ramsey or maybe it is due to my laziness,  but we are putting the main house on the market so we can remodel the lake house.  For the past two years, we have spent more time on home repairs than on home enjoyment.  Where do I begin?  The crushed septic field lines underneath the newly installed tumbled stone patio started it all, 3 AC units that gave up the ghost,  a new roof, trees that had to be cut down because they were growing over the roof,  garage doors that broke despite having them serviced every year, 3 skylights that started leaking, 11 large pine trees that have blown over due to storms (I am thankful they fell away from the house), a washer and dryer and refrigerator that had to be replaced,  a leaky 2nd water heater we didn’t know we had in the attic until it was too late,  dry wall repairs from the roof, the water heater and the skylights, squirrells in the attic  (we did catch and release–they can’t get back in because we cut down the trees) and I am not including all the repairs I have done myself. To borrow from a 6 year old nephew talking about the family dog who wanted to go outside and play, am I just being a “whiney baby?” 

Hawk, the Whiney Baby

 I hope not and that is not my intention.  We are excited about this journey!  We have been saving ideas,  pictures, thoughts, and a dream list in an idea file for 7 years.  Our ultimate goal is to have a place that is comfortable and welcoming to family and friends.  There have been a lot of good memories made at the lake house and we look forward to many more. We meet with a draftsman and builder tomorrow morning and I plan to document this remodel every step of the way.

The Lake House

Our View

Mom to Mom

Mom telling Santa what she wants for Christmas.

At the end of my sophomore year at Auburn University (WAR EAGLE), I called my mom to discuss what I was going to declare for a major.  Home ec education or accounting were her two options to help me choose from.  In about 10 seconds, together, we decided it should be Home Ec Education.  After my first year of teaching, I went back to night school to start working on a degree in Accounting.  My students were bigger and more worldly than me and ate my lunch on a daily basis.  Marriage and children followed shortly after and I have spent the last 18 years as a happy homemaker.  I do love all things home ec-whether it is cooking, sewing, family, gardening, or taking on minor home and repair projects.  I will share the good, the bad and the ugly of my home pursuits and hopefully you will learn from my successes and mistakes.

Begonias–My New Favorite Flower

It is official, the begonia has passed the day lily as my favorite flower.  Maybe it is because they require even less care than the day lily or maybe because the deer have not eaten them, so I have actually seen a begonia bloom as opposed to the deer food tender lily blooms that have a hard time making it to maturity.  The posted pictures will serve as a reminder to me what the begonias looked like before I brought them inside for the winter to start their slow death in the sunroom.

Cold Temps Tonight–Fried Green Tomatoes Tomorrow

The tomato plants are done dealing!  The daytime and evening temperatures are too cool to set any blooms on the tomato plants so they are going to be heaped into the compost pile, but not before I pick all the green tomatoes.  My mouth waters as I anticipate our last fried green tomatoes of the season.  Forget all the batter mixes you can buy at the grocery store, my method is simple:

Fried Green Tomatoes

Green Tomatoes

Salt

Flour

Peanut Oil for deep frying

Slice green tomatoes just slight of 1/4 inch thick.  Sprinkle with salt and let sweat for about 30 minutes.   In a gallon size storage bag add enough flour to coat tomatoes.  Add tomato slices and shake to cover.  Fry green tomatoes in peanut oil until golden brown, turning once.  Drain on paper towels and salt to taste if needed.  Temperature of oil should be 350-375 degrees F.  The key to crispy fried green tomatoes as opposed to soggy fried green tomatoes is not to try to fry too many at once as this will lower the temp of the oil.

This is also the way I fry yellow summer squash, only I use cornmeal instead of flour.  You can also peel eggplant and cut into french fry strips and prepare same way as tomatoes.

The Heart of an Angel revealed in Arroz con Pollo

Yesterday I spent two hours preparing Arroz con Pollo (chicken and rice) for my daughter’s Spanish II class only to find out that after I delivered it, the teacher had gotten in trouble for not asking  the principal for permission.  No food was to be in Spanish class that day!  Of course, I was a little irritated at the new principal, but was humbled by the heart of my sweet 17 year old daughter.  Because of the recent pay cuts for teachers in our county, she knew of someone who could use Arroz con Pollo for 20 and texted me during school and told me of her great idea.  My heart melted and determined that this was His plan all along. 

Arroz con Pollo

1 whole roasted chicken

1 medium onion cut into large chunks

1 cup beer

6 cups chicken broth

3 Tablespoons worcestershire sauce

3 tablespoons spanish seasoning, recipe follows

1 bunch cilantro leaves, chopped

6-8 garlic cloves, roughly chopped

3 cups long grain white rice (brown rice can be used)

2 cups frozen peas

1 cup chopped carrots

1 cup tomato sauce

1 teaspoon salt

3 tablespoons butter (olive oil can also be used)

1/2 red pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 green pepper, thinly sliced

1/2 onion, thinly sliced

1 cup green olives

Spanish Seasoning

1 Tablespoon paprika

1 Tablespoon garlic powder

1 tablespoon lemon pepper seasoning

1 tablespoon ground oregano

1 tablespoon onion powder

1 tablespoon chipotle chile pepper

1 tablespoon salt

1 tablespoon dried parsley flakes

1 teaspoon ground cumin

Combine all ingredients in a jar and cover with lid and shake to blend.   Use in all your favorite spanish recipes!

In a large stockpot, combine chunks of onion, 2 cups chicken broth, beer, spanish seasoning, worcestershire sauce, 1/2 of cilantro and garlic.  Bring to a boil.  Reduce heat to simmer and simmer for about 40  minutes.  Strain broth and return to stock pot.  Add 4 cups chicken broth  and rice to stock pot.  Bring to boil.  Add carrots, peas, tomato sauce and salt.  Reduce heat to simmer.  Cover and cook until rice is tender and fully cooked about 25 to 30 minutes.  Stir rice occasionally as the tomato sauce has a tendency to burn.  While rice is cooking, melt butter in pan and saute onions and peppers until tender.  Skin the roasted chicken and shred the meat into bite size pieces.  Add to onions and peppers and heat through.  When rice is done add chicken mixture and stir.  Remove from heat and add rest of cilantro and green olives.  Serve with a salad or green beans to complete the meal.  This will feed about 6-8.

Home Economics 101

Welcome to the home ec teacher blog.  I have a degree in Home Economics Education (it is now called Family and Consumer Science)  from Auburn University, but the best and most useful education  has come from on the job training right in my own home.  I hope to share with you my successes and mistakes to better your home making skills.   My ultimate goal is to get you to sit down and enjoy dinner and conversation with your family.  God Bless and Happy Homemaking!  Matthew  4:4